Perforating machine



May 12, 1931. K. D. EVANS PERFQRA'IING MACHINE Filed April 30. 1927 2Sheets-Sheet 1 I7: I) ent 0 attorney 3 May 12, 1931. 'K. D. EVANS1,804,974

PERFORATING MACHINE Filed April 30. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May12, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KELLEY D. EVANS, OF HAMILTON, OHIO,ASSIGNOR OI ONE-HALF TO C. E. HOOVEN, OF

HAMILTON, OHIO PERFORATING MACHINE Application filed April 30,

This invention relates to a perforating machine adapted particularly forforming perforated record sheets for automatlc typewriters or automatictypewriter operating mechanisms. In certain respects the presentinvention is an improvement over the perforating machine or mechanlsmforming the subject matter of the Pillings Patent No. 1,175,986, grantedMarch 21., 1916.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a perforatingmachine which produces more accurate results in the spacing of theperforations than the machines heretofore used, particularly that shownin the Pillings patent.

Further objects are to produce a perforating mechanism which is simplerin construction, and more easily operated than those heretoforeemployed.

My invention has for one of its important features the fact that thesheet feeding and perforating means are so related that the punchesoperate in line with the center hne or axis of the feeding means, thusdoing away with the possibility of error due to bulging or stretching ofthe paper as is the case when the punches operate at more or lessdistance laterally of the feeding .device. The advantage in the way ofaccurate results is further enchanced by the aligning of the puncheswith the center line of the feeding device by reason of the fact thatduring and just preceding the punching operation the shaft of thefeeding device is locked and this, of course, holds the sheet againstmovement at and adjacent the punches.

Another feature by which the advantages in the way of simplicity andease of operation are obtained is the fact that the feeding means isdirectly actuated by the punch operating means on the downward stroke ofthe feed lever at the beginning of the downward stroke of a key levercarrying a punch so that the sheet is fed just before the perforation isformed rather than after the forming of the perforation and through theaction of a weight or spring during the 1927. Serial No. 187,767.

up stroke of the feed lever as in the Pillings patent.

The invention may be further briefly summarized as consisting in certainnovel combinations and arrangements of parts which will be described inthe specification and set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings wherein I have illustrated thepreferred form of the invention, Fig. 1 is a. plan view of theperforator, a portion thereof being broken away; Fig. 2 is a side view;Fig. 3 is a fragmentary bottom view; and Fig. 1 is a verticallongitudinal sectional view.

My improved perforating machine includes a frame 10 composed principallyof two parallel side plates suitably joined together by cross members.At the front of the machine is a keyboard consisting of a series of keys11 on key levers 12 which at their inner ends are mounted on astationary cross rod 13 extending between the side plates of the frame,each key lever being adapted to be returned after being depressed by aspring 14.

In this keyboard the keys will correspond to those usually found in atypewriter, including keys for the different letters of the alphabet andother characters, and in addition there is a space bar 15 mounted onlevers 16 pinned to a rockshaft 17 lying alongside the rod 13, theselevers being similarly spring returned. Additionally, the keyboard mayinclude keys for tabulation, tabulation release, carriage shift,carriage shift release, carriage return, and a key for forming theperforations for stopping the feed of the record sheet in the automatictypewriter. The major portion of these keys will be utilized in forminga record sheet for an automatic typewriter such as constitutes thesubject matter of my pending application Serial No. 115,659, filed June12, 1926, and all will find utility in the production of record sheetsfor typewriter operating mechanisms such as are being used quitegenerally at the present time. These key levers are spaced apart andguided by a pair of combs indicated at 120 and 126.

All the key levers 12 and one of the levers 16 supporting the space bar15 are provided 'near their inner ends with vertically disposed punches18 which have a sliding fit in perforations of a bar 19 constituting apunch guide bar and are adapted to enter openings of a die 20 consistingof a bar similar to the guide bar 19 and located directly beneath thesame. These two bars are secured together attheir ends and are supportedby the side plates of the frame.

The two bars are spaced far enough apart to permit the record sheet tobe fed between the same. This record sheet, whichis indicated at 21, issupplied from a roll carried by a spool 22 having a center pin removablysupported in slots of rearward extensions 10a. of the side plates of theframe.

The sheet is fed by two sprocket wheels 23 which are located just insideof the side plates of the frame 10 and are secured to ,a feed shaft 24:which is located directly beneath the die 20 and, therefore, directlybeneath the punches 18. These sprockets are preferably provided with twoannular rows of sprocket pins which are adapted to engage in rows ofequall spaced perforations previously provided a ong the margins of thesheet, the spacing of perforations corresponding to the distance betweenadjacent sprocket pins so that the perforations of the sheet and thepins of the sprocket wheels will exactly coincide during the feeding ofa sheet in the normal functioning of the machine.

Directly above the sprockets and slightly forward of the center thereofand at about the middle of the machine are curved guides 25 which holdthe sheet down against the sprocket wheels so that it will conform forsubstantially 90 to the curvature of the sprocket wheels as it passesover the latter, the sheet then being permitted to pass forwardly andout from beneath the machine at the forward end.

The feeding sprockets are actuated whenever one of the keys 11 or thespace bar 15 is depressed and before the perforation is punched by thefollowing mechanism:

Directly beneath the key and space bar levers 16 is a rod 26 whichextends crosswise of the frame and the ends of which project througharc-shaped slots 27 in the side plates of the frame. This rod isconnected to a rock shaft 28 also supported in the side plates of theframe, the rod and shaft being connected together by an arm 29 on oneside of the frame and a second arm 30 at the opposite side of the frame,this last mentioned arm being in the form of a bell crank lever, theforward end of which has a key 30a which can be depressed to feed thesheet without causing it to be perforated. The bell crank arm or lever30 has at its inner end a downward extension 30?) provided with a pawl31 which is adapted to actuate a ratchet wheel 32 secured to the feedshaft 24 on the outer side of one of the side plates of the frame. Thispawl is in the form of a small bell crank, the upward extension of whichis connected to one end'of a spring 33, the other end of which isconnected to the frame 10. The bell crank pawl 31 also has a for-- wardextension which extends beneath the ratchet wheel 32 and has a toothwhich is adapted to engage the teeth thereof. The spring 33 has thetwo-fold function of holding up the forward extension of the bellcrankpawl 31 and of returning to normal position the feed lever assemblycomposed of the parts 26, 28, 29, 30 and 31 immediately after the key30a is depressed. The forward end of the pawl 31 is curved as shown andthis curved forward end is adapted to engage a roller 34- which is inthe path of movement of the lower portion of the pawl and is carried byan adjustable block 35 supported on the adjacent side plate of theframe.

Additionally, the machine includes a holding pawl 36 carrying a roller37 which is adapted to engage between adjacent teeth of the ratchetwheel 32 immediately after each feeding movement of the ratchet wheeland sprockets.-

It will be observed that whenever one of the keys 11 or the space bar 15is'depressed, so as to lower a punch, the rod 26 is pushed downward.This, of course, actuates the feed lever assembly which turns thesprockets and therefore feeds the sheet, but the parts are so arrangedand proportioned that the initial movement only of the bell crank lever30 is instrumental in turning the ratchet wheel 32 the distance of onetooth, this occuring before the punch perforates the sheet. That is tosay, in depressing a key 11 or the space bar 15 to perforate the sheet,the ratchet wheel is first turned by the pawl 31 and the latter is thencammed by the roller 34: out of engagement with the the toothedperiphery of the ratchet wheel, and immediately. after the ratchet Wheelhas been turned a distance equivalent to the spacing of the teeth theroller 37 of pawl 36 drops into the depression between two teeth andholds the ratchet wheel and therefore the feed shaft and feed sprocketsagainst movement, and as soon as this occurs the punch carried by thelever which was manually depressed perforates the sheet. As soon as theoperator releases his finger from the depressed key or space bar, theparts are immediately restored totheir former positions whereupon theoperation may be repeated.

It is to be noted that the feed is direct and positive and occurs beforethe perforation is formed when the key or space bar is depressed toperforate the sheet, but the feed pawl and ratchet are disengaged andthen the ratchet is held against movement before the actual perforatingtakes place. The fact that the feeding mechanism is operated directlyand prior to the perforating operation permits the use of a much moresimplified feeding mechanism compared with one wherein the feed isperformed indirectly through a spring or weight following theperforating operations, and inasmuch as it is unnecessary to li a weightor to actuate some other part such as a spring which is adapted tosubsequently operate the feedin mechanism, it is obvious that my improveperforating and feeding mechanism can be more easily operated than inthe latter case. Additionally, it is to be noted that the perforationsare formed directly in line with or directly above the axis of the feedshaft and of the feed sprockets rather than laterally thereof as in thePillings patent referred ,to above,

and since the ratchet is carried by the feed shaft 24 the feed mechanismis also held stationary in line with and directly beneath the punches,these features adding greatly to the accuracy of the machine as comparedwith one such as shown in the- Pillings patent wherein the feeding andholding means are located some distance ,making it possible from theline of o eration of the punches, or bulging or stretching of the sheetbetween the location of the feeding means and the point at which theperforations are made to. cause inaccurate refeedin sults.

While I have shown the preferred em-, bodiment of the invention I do notdesire to be confined to the precise details shown but aim in my claimsto cover all modifications which do not involvea departure from thespirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a perforating machine, a row of unches, levers for actuating thesame, a eed shaft having means for engaging and a sheet and havin itsaxis substantia ly in the same p ane with the punches, and meansoperated by the depression of any of said levers for turning the shaftprior to the perforating of the sheet by the punch corresponding to suchlever.

2. In a perforating machine, a series of plunches, levers for actuatinthe same, a s eet feeding mechanism w ich. is. actuated by thedepression of any of said levers to feed the sheet one step justprior'to the perforation of the sheet, by the punch corres onding incuding a feed shaft whose axis is in the plane of the punch. 3. In aperforating machine, a row of unches, levers for actuating the same, aeed shaft having means for engaging and feeding the sheet to beperforated and means operated directly by the depression of any one ofsaid levers for turning the shaft a predetermined amount prior to theperforatmg of the sheet'by the punch corresponding to such lever, theaxis of the shaft being in the same plane with the punches.

4:. In a perforating machine, punches, levers for actuating the same, aeed shaftlocated in the same plane with unches having means for engaginand eeding the sheet to be perforate means operated by the depression ofany one of said levers for turning the shaft a predetermined amount andincluding a ratchet wheel and a pawl, and means for disengaging the pawlfrom the ratchet a series of wheel prior to the completion of the strokeof the lever and prior to the perforating of the sheet by the punchassociated with the lever which is depressed.

5. In a perforating machine, a series of,

punches, means for 6. Ina perforating machine, a series of punches,levers for actuating the same, means for feeding a sheet intermittentlycomprising a shaft having sprockets for engagmg the sheet, means foractuating the sprockets including a feed lever actuated by the actuatinglevers, lever, a ratchet wheel on the shaft, and roller depression ofany one of the puncha pawl carried by the feed means for causing disenagement of the awl-from the ratchet w eel after a preetermined downwardmovement of the punch actuating lever and rior to the portion of itsmovement w ich causes the punch to perforate the sheet.

In testnnony' whereof, vI hereunto aifix my signature. 1

- KELLEY D. EVANS.

to said lever, said mechanism

